Preserving the spirit of the Canandaigua Treaty

Protecting the earth was a theme at Monday's ceremony honoring the 219th anniversary of the historic treaty.

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By Julie Sherwood

MPNnow

By Julie Sherwood

Posted Nov. 12, 2013 at 7:16 PM

By Julie Sherwood

Posted Nov. 12, 2013 at 7:16 PM

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It was 19 years ago, on 200th anniversary of the historic Canandaigua Treaty, that Clorissa Yellow of the The Tuscarora Nation was last present for the treaty celebration commemorated annually on the lawn of the Ontario County Court House.

On Monday, the treaty's 219th anniversary, Clorissa returned — this time with her husband, Maurice "Moose" Yellow of the Mohawk Nation, and their 23-month old daughter, Chiara Yellow. The trip from their home in the Niagara Falls area to Canandaigua was significant, the couple said, as they wrapped themselves in a warm blanket upon arriving early for the 2 p.m. ceremony. It is important to raise their daughter to understand and appreciate her heritage, they said.

"It is nice to come back," said Clorissa.

The Yellow family was among the many people of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Confederacy) who attended the Nov. 11 ceremony that was part of a series of events Monday marking the treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the United States. Many descendants of the region's white settlers were also in attendance for the ceremony and events that followed.

In November 1794, the treaty was negotiated and signed by Colonel Timothy Pickering, official agent of George Washington, and sachems from the Six Nations (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora). The treaty brought peace between the two and recognized the sovereignty of the Six Nations to govern and set laws as individual nations.

As a parade led by Haudenosaunee Chiefs that started at the Canandaigua Primary School headed up Main Street and into the courthouse lawn, Lisa Collett of Shortsville watched with her granddaughter, Elizabeth Collett, 5, of Canandaigua. Lisa was also at the event to celebrate the treaty and share the historic day with her granddaughter.

"I brought my own kids and wanted to bring Elizabeth," said Lisa, about her desire for future generations to know about and understand the treaty.

Also in attendance were Quaker representatives, whose forebears attended the original signing to ensure fair negotiations.

Leading the public events was Master of Ceremonies Peter Jemison, Ganondagan State Historic Site manager. People gathered under and around a tent as Jemison spoke of the values demonstrated by the treaty, which include peace and cooperation among people and respect for the earth and all living things.

"The Creator gave us this world, and Mother Earth gave us all life," said Jemison. It is necessary to protect the water, the plants, the animals and all that make life possible, he said. Jemison also talked of the "disunity" in Washington and of bickering among government leaders. "The earth is changing," said Jemison, who advised letting those leaders know the import issues are not about "whose turn it is to win."

This year's treaty was also noteworthy as recognition of the 400th anniversary of the Two Row Wampum between the Six Nations and the Dutch, the subject of a speech by Chief Jake Edwards (Onondaga) that took place later on Monday.

Page 2 of 2 - The Ontario County Historical Museum invited people from noon to 4 p.m. to view one of only two original copies of the Canandaigua Treaty and pertinent letters at the Ontario County Historical Society at 55 N. Main St. Then, a potluck supper at 4:30 p.m. was provided in the Canandaigua Primary School cafeteria.